A Universal Flu Vaccine Without Needles

MonoSol Rx and BiondVax are working together to develop an oral film formulation of the universal flu vaccine, M-001. MonoSol Rx is the developer of PharmFilm® drug delivery technology, and BiondVax is an Israeli-based pharmaceutical company that has developed the universal flu vaccine M-001. According to MonoSol Rx, there are significant advantages for this needle-free delivery in vaccines, including ease of use, increased compliance, and simplified distribution.

The collaboration will include the conduction of studies using MonoSol Rx’ PharmFilm technology to investigate the activity and formulation of BiondVax influenza vaccine when delivered in an oral film.

A. Mark Schobel, co-president and chief executive officer of MonoSol Rx, stated, “We have believed for some time in the significant advantages PharmFilm can offer in the delivery of a broad range of vaccines. . . . We believe that the targeted oral, needle-free influenza vaccine enabled by the PharmFilm platform will see increased patient acceptance, leading to a better-protected population. Storage and distribution will also be enhanced by the film formulation, which is stable at room temperature, making vaccination easier for large numbers of patients across the country.”

PharmFilm is a quick-dissolving, taste-masked dissolvable film that, according to MonoSol Rx, has the potential for faster onset and more precise dosing for patients whose medical conditions or profile make compliance with traditional drug delivery forms challenging. BiondVax’ universal flu vaccine, the M-001, is based on a combination of conserved nonchanging epitopes, or peptides, common to existing and future flu virus strains including both seasonal and pandemic flu strains, such as the avian and swine flu, regardless of their antigenic drift and shifts.